Controller-regulator.



J. Y. PORTER. CONTROLLER REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR.18, 1911.

Patented June 13, 1911.

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prevents the rapid UNITED STATES PATENT JOSEPH Y. PORTER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO RALZEMOND A. PARKER AND CHARLES F. BUBTON, BOTH OE DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CONTROLLER-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr Y. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Controller-Regulators, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to controller regulators for electric motors; it has for its object an improved controller regulator which rotation of the controller shaft in increasing the current force and compels the operator who is turning the shaft of the controller regulator either to turnthe shaft slowly or to stop the forward motion at intervals, which intervals depend on the location of temporary stop members in the regulator. On the reverse motion, however, of the handle of the controller, the rotation is not impeded but may be accomplished as rapidly as may be desired.

In the machine which embodies this invention, there is contained a pawl which is carried in translation by the controller handle; in connection with the pawl'is a loosely arranged pawl actuator which at intervals oscillates the pawl to throw the forward end thereof into engagement with the stop and immediately after the engagement of the pawl and the stop, the actuator ad. just-s itself to allow the front end of the pawl to swing upward out of engagement with the stop as soon as the operator disengages the actual contact of the end of the pawl with the stop.

On a plate below the travel path of the forward end of the pawl are stops arranged in a circle and arranged in groups if desired to effect'the slow motion of the pawl and the handle with which it is connected, one group to control during the period that the controller is passing the series part of its contact, and another group arranged control the pawl during the time that the controller is passing the multiple of contact terminals. The pawl actuator has a travel path that is radially nearer the center of rotationthan the travel path of the end of the pawl and the actuator passes over a number of projections that are somewhat similar in their character to'the stop projections but which from the object accomplished will be herein called cams. During the reverse movement of the handle the pawl and the actuator both travel over the projections rising from the plate without being obstructed thereby to a degree to stop the motion of the handle.

In the drawings :Figure 1, is a side elevation of the regulator. Fig. 2, is avertical cross section of the'regulator. Fig. 3, is a plan view of the stop plate. Fig. 1, is a section through that part of the housing in the plate in which the pawl is contained. Fig. 5, is a section through the same'part of the plate as Fig. 4, the pawl and the actuator are shown in a diiferent position from that shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6,'is a section through the housing nearer the center than the section taken in Fig. 4. Fig. 7, is a top view of the pawl.

The stop plate 1 is adapted to be secured to the top of the controller housing. It is provided with a central hole 2 in which is inserted a bushing 4 that engages closely around the controller shaft 3; the bushing also engages in a central hole in the cap 8 of the controller regulator and is secured to the cap 8' by screws 9. The plate is provided with a ball race 5 in which a number of anti-friction balls 6 engage; the inner face of the cap rests on the ball race and the cap rotates readily. A depending flange 10 depending from the edge of the cap 8 engages the rim of the stop plate 1 and completes the housing of the regulator. Above the top ofthe cap 8 rise the walls 18 of a handle socket, which socket is provided at one side with an opening in which engages a web 14 hanging from the handle 15. The web 14: is provided with the usual stop hanger 16 used to prevent the handle from a complete revolution which it does by coming into engagement with a stop-post (not shown) that is suitably located on the controller casing. Under the cap and above the stop plate is a chamber in which is hung a pawl 17 on a pivot pin 18. The pivot .pin is supported in the walls of the cap. The pawl 17 is heavier at its rear or tail end 19 than at its front end 20 and in a normal condition will rest with the front end 20 entirely above the stops 21 of whichthere are two groups and several in each group arranged near the outer circumference of the stop plate. The rear 19 of the pawl is Patented June 13, 1911.

curved inward and never engages the stops either in moving forward or in moving backward; it may at times drop into contact with the cams hereinafter described, but these do not present a stop obstruction to its return. The pawl 17 is provided with a slot 22 intermediate its ends and with a pivot hole for pivot 18. At the front terminal of the slot 22 the material of the pawl is made much thinner than the body of the pawl at this point and a cavity lies at the front of the slot and below the upper surface of the pawl in which may engage the wing 23 of the actuator 24 allowing the top of the wing 23 to drop below the top of the pawl and furnish. abundant room for the necessary movement of this wing of the actuator. At the back terminal of the slot 22 the material of the pawl is thin, making a cavity above and a cavity below the thin part of the pawl at this place, in which cavities engage the wings 25 and 26 of the actuator. The actuator is preferably of hardened metal, in its general contour it approaches an oval in shape with a wing 23 extending forward from the top of the oval, with a deep notch 27 extending into the oval from the top, with a wing 25 extending to about the limit of the imagined oval, with the wing 26 extending back at the bottom to about the limit of the imagined oval and with a deep notch 28 between the wings 25 and 26 extending from the rear end of the oval into the body of the actuator. In the bottom of the actuator is a tooth like projection 29 adapted to engage the cams 30 of which there are two groups, in each group are cams equal in number to the stops in the group with which it is associated. The actuator engages through the slot 22 with the wing 23 extending over the thin part of the pawl in front of the notch, with the wing 25 extending over the thin part at the rear of the notch and the wing 26 extending beneath the thin part-at the rear of the notch and with the notch 27 embracing quite loosely the pin 18. The actuator is capable of a considerable range of movement though it cannot escape from the notch. The rear of it may oscillate vertically within the limits of freedom allowed it; the front end of the actuator may oscillate in a vertical direction within the limits permitted. This actuator travels in a path above and generally in engagement with the cams 30 and its operation is as follows When the cap is revolved and the pawl carried with it, the tooth 29 contacts the cam 30, the wing 23 comes into engagement with the pawl and the actuator oscillates 011 the engaging point between the wing 23 and the pawl and is-lifted and held from advancing with the pawl, until the wing 26 engages the pawl and lifts the rear end of the pawl and this continues until the tooth 29 has mounted the summit at which time the front end 20 of the pawl has dropped into position to engage with the stop 21, to the position shown in Fig. 4. As soon as the parts have reached this position, the actuator balancing on the extreme lower part of the tooth rocks backward, the wing 25 and wing 26 overbalancing the forward end of the actuator and the tooth slips down the declivity at the front of the pawl. This takes away from the rear end of the pawl the support or lifting power of the actuator and the rear end 19 of the pawl drops lifting the front end above the top of the stop 21. If at the time the act-uator mounted to the top of the cam, the cap is moving with speed the distance to be traversed before the front end 20 of the of the cam 30,

pawl engages the stop 21 is so slight that the inertia will retain the pawl 20 in its place until the pawl comes in actual contact with the stop; if this happens the engagement must be broken before the rear end of the pawl will drop and this is generally the 7.

case in operation, an operator may move the pawl and cap so slowly that the action of gravity will operate the pawl but in this case the desired result has been accomplished to produce slowness of revolutions of the cap and the controller shaft. If, on the contrary, the cap is moving with speed sufficient to make the contact, then the stop action takes eifect and the desired result is accomplished.

The actuator in its movement swings over or around various centers of oscillation or fulcra. While it is climbing the steep part of the cam 30, the wing 23 bears on the front part of the pawl and the actuator as a whole swings around a fulcrum that is even beyond the limits of the imagined oval and is under the projecting wing. After the contact between the wing 26 and the rear of the pawl has been eflected and until the complete swing of the pawl 17 is effected, the actuator and the pawl together swing around the pin although the actuator need not be in direct contact with the pin at any time while in normal action. After the actuator has mounted the cam and passed far enough forward to begin to move down the decline, there may be either of two movements dependent on whether the pawl has been brought into contact with the post or whether the movement has been so slow that the rear of the pawl begins to drop before the pawl contacts the stop. In this latter case, the wing 26 turns around the point of contact between the tooth and the cam and this lifts the front wing 23 out of engagement or at least lifts it above its previous engagement with the front of the pawl, the tooth 29 slips forward and down and the rear of the pawl drops until the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 6

or even assume the position with the front end 20 swung still farther up than is shown in Fig. 6. In its first contact with the cam, the pawl actuator is restrained relatively to the movement of the pawl, and the rear end of it swings through a relatively greater are than the swing of the pawl. After the actuator has climbedthe cam, to the extreme bottom of the tooth and the front end of it swings through an are which causes it to leave the front end of the pawl until the rear of the wing 25 engages the rear of the pawl and the actuator now oscillates or swings on this last point of contact and swings forward with the lower side of the actuator traveling down the declivity of the cam. There is no possibility of the parts at any time engaging in any way to prevent the proper action of these moving parts and whenever the front of the pawl has engaged a stop, the actuator will assume a position proper for its next action, from which position it cannot be moved unless the handle is drawn so far back that the actuator repasses the top of the cam 30, in which case it has assumed a position.that it will again cause the pawl to engage the stop 21. The engagement between the cam and the actuator brings about a positive engagement between the pawl and the stop which is companion to that one of the cams or such a'cessation of rapid movement that the object of the regulator has been accomplished.

What I claim is 1. In a controller regulator, the combination of a pivotally suspended pawl, a pawl actuator in suspended relation to said pawl, a stop adapted to engage said pawl, a cam adapted to engage said actuator, the actuator being arranged to be lifted by said cam and to lift one end of said pawl and bring the other end into position to engage the stop and to thereafter shift its position with respect to said pawl, and allow the pawl to oscillate out of its engaging position with said stop, substantially as described.

2. In a controller regulator, the combination of a stop plate, and a pawl rotatably movable the one with respect to the other, means for producing such relative movement, an actuator for said pawl suspended thereon adapted to oscillate with respect thereto on any one of a plurality of bearing points arranged to bring the center of the center of oscillation is transferred gravity of said pawl actuator sometimes to the front of the point of bearing, and sometimes to the rear of the point of bearing, substantially as described.

3. In a controller regulator, in combination with a stop, and an oscillating pawl adapted to engage said stop, a pawl actuator adapted to actuate the pawl against the action of gravity, the said actuator having a plurality of engaging points with said pawl of which one is located in front of the center of oscillation of said pawl, and

one is located at the rear thereof, substantially as described.

4. In a controller regulator, in combination with an oscillating pawl, and a series .of stops adapted to engage the same, a pawl actuatorhanging from said pawl and carried thereby in motlon of translation, said hanging actuator being adapted to engage the pawl at the rear of the center of oscillation of said pawl and on the upper side thereof, also at the rear of said center of oscillation and on the lower side of said pawl, and in front of said center lation and on the upper side of said pawl,

and being adapted to shift its engagement,

substantially as described.

5. In a controller regulator, in combination with a pivoted pawl, a stop member against which said pawl is adapted to enmeans for moving said pawl in trans lation, a pawl actuator in suspended relation to said pawl adapted to engage said pawl in front of its pivot and to oscillate on said point of engagement, also adapted to engage said pawl at the rear of its pivot and adapted to oscillate on said point of engagement, and adapted to engage a member independent of said pawl andto oscillate on its point engaging said independent member, substantially as described.

'6. Ina controller regulator, the combination of a rotatable member and a fixed member, a pivoted member adapted to interlock said fixed and rotatable members, a shifting actuator for said pivoted member carried by said pivoted member and adapted to oscillate on any one of a plurality of bearing points, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH Y. PORTER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES F. BURTON, VIRGINIA C. SPRATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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